


mirshko papurgaat

by Wikluk



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Dating, Episode: s02e13 Voyage of Temptation, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Korkie Kryze is a Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obitine, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, and, and then some light angst, but Obi-Wan is in denial, no beta we die proudly, shhhhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wikluk/pseuds/Wikluk
Summary: It was a perfect date, only there was one problem: Jedi don't date ...orObi-Wan takes Satine to Dex's Diner for dinner. And somehow it turned out that it didn't end with just innocent flirting.
Relationships: Dexter Jettster & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze
Comments: 30
Kudos: 109





	mirshko papurgaat

**Author's Note:**

> So...  
> The idea to write this fanfiction came to me when I was looking through tumblr. More specifically, when I saw [this](https://oodlesofsnootles.tumblr.com/post/619921971307823104/do-you-think-obi-wan-ever-took-satine-to-dexs) post. So I dedicate this story to users who contributed to the use of my creativity by giving me an idea.
> 
> I just wantt o add that I am not a native English speaker, so there may be (and I'm sure there are) mistakes, for that I am very sorry.

Obi-Wan Kenobi smoothed his robe again and straightened the hood that covered his head. He looked at the huge clock that displayed the time on one of the tall skyscrapers and, with a sigh, noticed that his companion should be at the appointed place any moment. Nervously, he checked his lightsaber to see if it was in its new position. Obi-Wan was used to the familiar weight that was always on his left side, close at hand, but he knew perfectly well that at this meeting all weapons were better kept _—_

“Now I know from whom Knight Skywalker inherited this incredible subtlety.”

Obi-Wan turned swiftly to the melodious voice, immediately meeting a pair of oceanic eyes fringed with delicate, thick lashes. With a polite smile, he bowed his head so that it would not reveal their identity. “Your Highness.”

“Obi-Wan.” her eyes twinkled slightly, as if to make him understand there was no need for titles. She turned her head to the left and gave a distinct nod, and the Jedi, following her line of sight, noticed one of her guards a few yards away, dressed in plain, inconspicuous clothes. The man nodded and walked away, and the Duchess looked again at her companion. “You won't take advantage of the absence of my security and you won't kidnap me for ransom, will you?”

“I wouldn't dare, my dear,” smiling, he offered her his arm, which she eagerly accepted. “Anyway, what kind of kidnapping is this, if you come with me of your own free will?”

“How do I know you're not using any Jedi trick on me?”

“Because you know me,” he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “Because you trust me.”

“I thought I knew Pre Vizsla and Tal Merrik.” her face changed from happy to displeased. “I trusted them and how did it end?”

“Satine _—_ ”

“Shhh, Obi.” she raised her hand, cutting off his attempt as if she knew what he was about to say. “I don't want to talk about those few days. They didn't bring me anything good,” her mouth curved slightly as she glanced at him almost shyly. “Hmm, almost.”

Right now, Obi-Wan was glad that both his beard and the hood that covered his head and cast a shadow over his face hid his cheeks well, for he was almost sure he could feel them turn red at her words. He cleared his throat and looked straight ahead, pulling her slightly closer to him. “I'm taking you to a late dinner. Or rather, an early supper.”

“If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were taking me on a date.”

“Jedi don't go on dates.” he replied instinctively, wincing at the mechanical tone of his voice. “We're going to my friend Dex's Diner.”

“He's not a Jedi?”

“Jedi cannot _—_ ”

“ _—_ have property, yes I remember.”

“So where does this question come from?”

“Hmm.” she glanced at him with a crooked smile. “I just didn't think a busy Jedi Master like you would have any friends outside of the Temple.”

“Just as your men wouldn't expect their ruler to have any friends in the Jedi Order, would they?”

“Friends?”

“Am I not your friend?”? he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Oh yes,” she looked away from his face, staring immediately at the pavement. “Of course you are my friend.”

Obi-Wan felt a twinge of regret in the Force, but he could tell without his skill that Satine was visibly sad. Her eyes were very expressive - and the Duchess, as long as Obi-Wan could remember, had always had a hard time hiding her emotions because it was her eyes that betrayed her heart. They were like a mirror.

So were her hands.

He remembered her warm hand on his cheek, her smile and the gleam in her eyes as she ran her long, slender fingers down his bearded chin, the brightness that filled her signature then, the sincerity he had seen in her gestures. And now ... Now he was taking her to dinner, no, _supper_ , that _wasn't a date_. Because it _wasn't_. Jedi could _not_ be attached, Jedi could _not_ form relationships, could not love _—_

_Stop._

Obi-Wan realized that they had been walking next to each other for a long moment without exchanging a word, and all this time he was staring at Satine, but she was stubbornly staring straight ahead, seeming to be thoughtful.

“Look under your feet. It would be a pity for your handsome face if you tripped and broke your nose because of this staring.”

“I'm not staring.” he denied in a serious voice, then smiled gallantly. “I just admire the view.”

He felt a sudden pang of pride as her lips curved into a slight smile, and her pale cheeks turned a light pink shade in the rays of the slowly setting sun. His every sense told him what he was doing, what he said was wrong, yet he felt no remorse, and the Force remained silent, neither criticizing nor approving of his behavior. Is neutrality contagious?

Suddenly the smell of food hit his nostrils and Obi-Wan looked away from his companion, redirecting his gaze to the well-known building, now several meters away.

“I'm not taking you to any expensive restaurant or prestigious coffee shop...” he said quietly, trying to read any reaction on her face. “I've known Dex since I was a Padawan. He has helped me more than once, because, well, he knows a lot. He has had a Diner here for over a decade. It is not a luxurious place, and certainly not one where the Duchess of several thousand systems would dine, but _—_ ”

“I may be a Duchess, but I'm not a snob, Obi-Wan.” Satine cut him off in mid-sentence, raising one of her perfect eyebrows. “Besides, you said yourself that this is not a date, so my standards are not high.”

“Well,” they stopped at the entrance and Obi-Wan turned to face her. “Dex is very direct, if he says something that might offend you please don't hold it against him, he _—_ ”

“Obi, just relax,” Satine smiled gently at him, interrupting his speech again. “Throughout my life I have dealt with many different people, from different social classes, from different backgrounds. I will not be offended just because someone does not call me your highness or bow to me.”

“I know, sorry, that's not what I meant, I just _—_ ” 

“You don't have to be ashamed of your friends.” she raised her hand as if she wanted to touch his face, but finally put it on his shoulder. “If you trust them, so do I.”

“I'm not ashamed of them.” he muttered under his breath.

“One person won't change my mind about you.”

“And what’s on your mind when it comes to me?”

Satine just smiled and laced their arms together as she approached his body and peered curiously at the sign with the name of the bar gleaming on one of the windows. “Are we going?”

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and led her through the sliding door of the Diner. Inside, the smell of fried food was so intense that if it weren't for the music streaming from the speakers, the Jedi Master's stomach would have known its empty contents. Obi-Wan looked around the room, noticing that his favorite table was free, and began to lead Satine towards it, examining her reaction out of the corner of his eye. If anything disgusted her here, she didn't show it at all. Her face was completely neutral, and her Force signature glowed even brighter than usual, radiating peace and contentment. The Duchess let go of his arm and sat gracefully on one couch, while Obi-Wan sat across from her. She pushed the hood off her head, staring with prying eyes at the small place, and as her gaze finally fell on her companion, her pearly lips curved into a smile.

“Lovely place.” she said without a trace of malice. “Even if I am not able to wash this coat anymore,” she looked a bit critically at the couch seat and wrinkled her nose. “Then I will not regret it.”

“Even if you don't like the food?”

“Dear Obi-Wan, I won't regret anything when I have you with me.” her widening smile made his heart beat faster. “Unless you plan to change it and you brought me here to punish me for something I don't remember and poison me.”

“If I wanted to poison you, it certainly wouldn't be by my friend's hands.”

“Who knows what you, Jedi, have in your mind.”

Obi-Wan snorted, a sarcastic reply on the tip of his tongue _—_

“And who do we have here?!” they heard the cheerful voice of Hermione Bagwa, the waitress who has worked for Dex for years. “Obi-Wan! Haven't seen you in months! Was worried you wouldn't come back!”

“Hello Hermione, it's wonderful to see you. How are you?”

“As you can see, everything is in the right place.” she took her hands from her hips and rested them on the table, grinning broadly at the Jedi Master. “So I can't complain.”

“That's great.” Obi-Wan frowned slightly as he felt a slight but sudden twinge of… envy in the Force? He looked quickly at Satine, but she with an unreadable expression was staring at the waitress. “Hermione, this is _—_ ”

“Satine.” a slight smile appeared on the lips of the Duchess, but the tone of her voice did not reflect it at all. “His _friend_.”

“Ah, I see...” Hermione winked at Obi-Wan and straightened, returning her gaze to the other woman. “My name is Hermione, nice to meet you.” The waitress gave Satine a cheerful smile and looked at the Jedi Master. “You guys think about your order, and I'll call Dex. He will be glad to see you!”

Hermione walked briskly away from their table, and Obi-Wan, eyebrow raised, looked at Satine. She, however, stubbornly avoided his eyes. After a long silence, he spoke with a sigh. “You don't like her.”

“I do not know her,” she replied in a cold voice, but what surprised him most was the lack of denial. Satine took a deep breath. She narrowed her eyes at him, eyebrow raised at the same time. “You didn't mention you had female friends too.”

“My dear.” Obi-Wan gave her a smile that he knew would irritate her. “According to the Supreme Statistical Office of the Republic, 52% of the population are females _—_ ”

“Oh, please.” she interrupted him with a slightly irritated voice, thus widening his smile. “I thought we were here for a _friendly supper_ , not to discuss Republican population issues.”

“I have not noticed that the Republic has a problem in this aspect.” Satine stared at him with an unreadable expression, as if waiting for him to say more. “I mean... The streets... There are a lot of children and...” he stopped in mid-sentence, feeling her critical gaze on him.

“Oh, Obi.” Obi-Wan expected every reaction from her, but he never expected Satine to laugh. Really, honestly laugh. It was only then that the Jedi realized how beautiful the sound was and how much he missed it. “Your lack of knowledge is endearing,” even as the laughter died on her lips, those were curved in a smile. “How many of these children do you think will live to adulthood?” she asked in a slightly more serious tone. “How many of them will start families, have children?”

Satine was staring at him intently, and Obi-Wan felt that if he lost himself in that moment, he might drown in the crystal depths of her eyes that reminded him of the rough sea on Kamino. The question left his mouth before he thought about it. “And what about you?”

Satine blinked once. Then twice. And then thrice. “What about me?”

And while everything told him not to go any further, some unknown part of him gained control first, and he asked in a smooth voice. “Would you like to start a family someday?”

Her pupils widened slightly as she stared at him with her lips slightly parted, and Obi-Wan suddenly felt in the Force a huge collision of many extreme emotions. Among them he caught sadness, regret, then anger, and when her signature suddenly filled with unsteady calmness, he looked at her unemotional face again.

“The Mandalorians value family very much.” she began in a low but firm voice. “And despite being a pacifist, I still value the traditions of my people.” she added with the determination Obi-Wan loved about her. “My Clan is practically non-existent. My people are my family.”

Obi-Wan thought the Mandalorians and Jedi had more in common than neither would admit. The Jedi were a family to him, as were the Mandalorian people to Satine. The family not connected by blood, but by a common history and ideals. “That's not what I asked.”

“I know what you asked. I am not stupid.” she snapped back, voice sharper than she intended. She took a deep breath and lifted her chin slightly as she looked at the Jedi Master with a sensitivity he had last seen hers the day before, on the Coronet, as she assured him of her love with the blaster against her temple. “People want many things, but fate smiles to few of them,” for a split second, Satine looked as if she was considering the next words, but when she spoke, her voice was calm, warm. “Would you believe it if I told you that my dreams of my own family were lost the day you left Sundari?”

Obi-Wan parted his lips, but nothing left them. He stared at Satine in disbelief, a gaze so intense that on her pale cheeks instantly appeared some pink blushes. Her eyes shone like a starry night sky, and her lips _—_

“Obi-Wan!” Satine broke eye contact first, turning her head toward the voice that interrupted their intense exchange of glances.

Obi-Wan turned his head after a moment as well, and, smiling, rose from the couch to greet Basilisk, who had just approached their table. “Hello, Dex.”

“I was beginnin’ to think ya forgot how to get here.” Dex squeezed him warmly, his big hands slapping the Jedi on the back. He pulled away after a moment, giving Satine a curious look and a smile full of uneven teeth. “A Jedi with a beautiful lady by his side is an unusual sight, buddy. And a Jedi with a Mandalorian beautiful lady is just darndest.”

“How do you _—_?”

“Know a lot of people. And know a lot of Mandalorians. They have somethin’ different about them. Somethin’ wild. A sharp look. Just like yah lady.”

“The lady's name is Satine and she's not _mine_.”

“Ah, I understand.” Dex looked at him with a knowing twinkle in his eye. “So this is the first date.”

“ _It's not a date_.” Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, taking a deep breath. He was sure there were flushed cheeks hidden by his beard. “Really, Dex, you know I'm a Jedi.”

“Jedi or not, everyone will need a little love.”

“Dex _—_ ”

“Satine, right?” Dex ignored Obi-Wan, turning his full attention to the blonde sitting upright on the couch seat. Satine nodded gently as she regarded Basilisk closely. “Don't be too hard on this one,” he said with a smile, patting the Jedi arm hard. “He's a good boy, really. A bit socially-awkward, but always a gentleman!” Dex slapped him again. “Fit, not badly dressed, not hairy like a Wookie. Does not smoke and, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t drink so much!”

“Dex _, please_ _—_ ”

“Oh, shhh, Obi, the adults are talking.” Obi-Wan looked at Satine in disbelief while raising his eyebrows. The tone of her voice was cheerful, she had a slight smile on her lips, her eyes sparkled, and she was definitely happy about the situation. _Good Force_. “Obi-Wan told me a bit about you, Dex.”

“Seriously? Come on, Jedi.” Dex smirked. “If I'm the bloody topic of conversation on yah dates, I think ya need some more trainin’.”

“I had to let her know who she was going to meet.”

“Looks like my fame is ahead of me!” Dex laughed and clapped one pair of hands. “Hope my food is worth this fame too. “Do ya have somethin’ on yah mind yet?”

“We haven't actually looked at the menu yet.” Satine gave him an apologetic smile as she glanced at Obi-Wan from the corner of her eye. “We had a little chat.”

“Sure, sure.” Obi-Wan didn't like the look Dex gave him. “The lovebirds usually have other things on their mind. Nesting, for example.”

“You know what, _Dexter_.” Obi-Wan sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “Even if I were on a date, and _I am not_ , as you put it, ‘nesting’ is not a topic for the first meeting.”

“Maybe not at first, but ya are certainly not meetin’ for the first time.” At the Jedi's questioning gaze, Dex replied with a broad smile. “Told ya, I know a lot of people, I know many other species, and I know a bit about different behaviors,” he looked at Satine, then back at the Jedi Master. “And I know ya. And in the company of this beautiful lady, ya behave just like ya would with Anakin or ‘Soka, as if you knew her very bloody well.” That lopsided smile appeared on his face again. “Well, maybe ya don't act _exactly_ the same, but ya know what I mean.”

“I know.”

“Come on, my friend!” Dex tapped him on the shoulder and smiled kindly. “The usual for ya.” Obi-Wan just nodded, and Dex turned to Satine. “Don't have any Mandalorian dishes here, but heard yah people appreciate spicy food, and that's somethin’ I can prepare. You a vegetarian?”

“No, I am not.”

“Lovely, I know exactly what I'm goin’ to get for ya! Special order for a beautiful lady, ordinary for a non-datin’ Jedi, and somethin’ to drink. Alcohol?”

“No.” Satine and Obi-Wan said at the same time and exchanged smiles. Obi-Wan turned to Basilisk. “Surprise us, Dex.”

“Got it, buddy! I leave ya alone, behave!”

Dex turned and walked towards the kitchen, and Obi-Wan could have sworn he saw the man wink at him as he walked away. With a deep sigh, he rubbed his temple with his fingers and closed his eyes only to be distracted by a giggle.

“What’s so funny?”

“Dex is a character,” she smiled happily at him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I like him.”

“Do you like him because you think he is an interesting person, or because he loves to tease me?”

“I can't say that,” she bit her lower lip to suppress a giggle, and Obi-Wan found himself staring too long at her pink lips. “It's a secret.”

_Oh, Force._

X X X X X

Satine did not know Onaconda Farr well, but they spoke to each other several times, both on political and moral topics. And even in spite of not so close acquaintance, the death of the Rodian senator was a personal loss for the Duchess, and his funeral was another sad memory that she had accumulated over the years.

Therefore, when Obi-Wan contacted her and suggested a meeting, she immediately agreed to talk to someone close to her. She welcomed the Jedi Master to her apartment on Coruscant as the sun slowly began to set and the warm colors of the shifting sky began to cast shades of orange and red across the room’s great windows.

“I hope you're hungry.” Obi-Wan gave her a warm smile and picked up the bag in his left hand. “I heard you had a rough afternoon, so I stopped by Dex's and had a takeaway dinner for us.”

“It smells good, what is it?”

“Honestly, I have no idea.” Obi-Wan walked over to the table with two chairs and unpacked the contents of the bag on its counter. “Dex just asked who he was to prepare the order for, and when I told him I was going to have dinner with you, he disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with that bag.”

Satine gave him a small smile and disappeared into the kitchen, only to return a moment later with two glasses and a bottle of white Alderaanian wine she had gotten from Senator Bail Organa some time earlier.

“Will you treat me to such an expensive drink?”

“And who would I drink it with?” she looked at him with raised eyebrows, but when he answered her with the same gesture, she just rolled her eyes. “Obi-Wan, this kind of alcohol tastes best in good company.”

“My dear, you flatter me _—_ ”

“That's why I wish there was another person to drink it with.”

“My dear, you hurt me.” he put a hand on his heart, but Satine only gave him a steadfast look. “Where are your manners? Such behavior towards a guest do not befit a monarchy.”

“Fortunately, I have never been a person who strictly followed these rules.” she opened the bottle and started pouring alcohol into the glasses. “You know, some might consider inviting Jedi to her apartments by an unmarried Duchess at this hour as a scandal.”

“For no reason.”

“Are you sure?”

“If there is anything in this wine that would make me wake up tomorrow morning without clothes and my lightsaber, and with the biggest headache since the evening when I celebrated Quinlan’s Padawan knighting, then yes, I'm quite sure.”

“If there was anything so… indecent about that wine, I certainly wouldn't pour it myself.” Satine brought a set of cutlery from the kitchen. “I couldn't miss such a downfall from the great Jedi Master and GAR General, one Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Satine sat down in the chair opposite and smiled at him. Obi-Wan smiled back, feeling a strange warmth spread all over his body. He could see the sincerity in her crystal gaze, and her signature radiated with warmth and contentment. And a small part of him felt proud that it was his presence that made her happy. Obi-Wan handed her one of the boxes and took the other for himself. They exchanged a quick glance and in an instant they took the lids off the packages. The intense aroma immediately hit their nostrils.

“Hmm, it smells interesting.”

“Do you have any idea what it might be?”

“It's definitely not a Mandalorian dish.” she said after a moment, sticking a fork into one of the rolls. “And if it is, it must be a regional dish from one of the other planets. Neither Kalevala nor Mandalore serve such meals.”

“Not from Mandalore or Kalevala?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and gave her an innocent smile. “And I was afraid it would be something inedible.”

The smile instantly faded from his face, and the Jedi himself could not suppress the hiss that escaped his lips when Satine kicked him in the shin under the table. He gave her an indignant look, and she just shrugged, staring at him as if nothing had happened.

“I joked!”

“And I warned you recently that you may offend me, my people, our history or architecture, but I will not forgive you for offending our cuisine.” she grabbed a glass between her slender fingers and took a sip of wine. “You're getting old, Obi. Fortunately, I'm here to remind you of various things when your sclerosis starts to kick in again.”

Obi-Wan gave her a gloomy look, but a small smile appeared on his lips. “We're the same age, my dear.”

“But I don't have gray hair yet.”

“I don't _—_ ” Obi-Wan took a deep breath at her triumphant gaze. “It's because of Anakin.”

“Of course.” Obi-Wan flinched slightly as he felt something brush against his calf. He raised his glass of wine quickly, trying to hide the blush that had made him feel suddenly hot, and when he glanced at Satine out of the corner of his eye, she merely smiled innocently and lifted her fork. “Enjoy your meal!”

They ate in silence at first, exchanging glances with each other, but Obi-Wan didn't feel like the silence was awkward. On the contrary, he felt strangely calm and relaxed, and even knowing how close their legs were and how little it took for them to touch didn't change that.

Halfway through the meal, Obi-Wan found Satine watching him blankly, her fork loosely in her hand, but when he looked at her with concern, she quickly reflected and, taking a deep breath, looked down at the plate.

“Satine?” she looked at him, trying to make her voice sound more confident. “Are you alright?”

“Oh yes. Yes of course.” she sounded unconvincing, and the Jedi Master's raised eyebrows seemed to make her aware of it. “This is not a conversation for tonight. It can wait.” she smiled slightly at him and he couldn't help but return the gesture. “I just thought about… Korkie.”

“Your nephew?”

“Yes,” for a moment he saw something strange in her eyes, a kind of hesitation. “Just…”

“You miss him?”

“Yes,” she looked him straight in the eyes. “It's stupid because I haven't seen him in just a few days, but...”

“It's not stupid at all.” Obi-Wan grabbed her hand that was laying on the table and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. Her skin was warm and smooth, quite different from the one covering his hands. Satine looked quickly at their joined hands, then looked straight into his eyes. Obi-Wan recognized a flash of surprise in her ocean irises and smiled warmly at her. “You raised him, you are like a mother to him.” he saw the same gleam in her eyes again. “Korkie is a teenager. He can take care of himself, you don't have to worry so much.”

“I wouldn't be so sure.” Satine smiled slightly at him. “Problems seem to find him. He is just like his father _—_ ” she stopped suddenly, breaking eye contact, and Obi-Wan sensed a sudden change in her signature - a strong stab of regret, sadness. Memories of her deceased brother must have awaken her old pain. Obi-Wan closed his eyes and, constantly stroking the back of her hand, sent her his peace of mind, significantly alleviating her sudden emotions. Satine took a deep breath and released her hand from his, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You're right. If he's like his father, he'll always find a way out of trouble.”

She smiled at him and went back to her meal, which they finished in silence. Afterwards, Obi-Wan gathered both containers and forks and carried them out into the kitchen. Returning to his seat, he leaned over to the bag resting on the floor.

“Dex also gave us some desserts.” Obi-Wan took two closed bowls from the bag and set them on the table. “He said you should like it.”

Satine immediately opened her portion and brought it closer to her face, studying the dessert more closely and sniffing it. Obi-Wan, without waiting for her expertise, stuck a fork into the cake and placed it in his mouth.

“Master Kenobi.” Satine interrupted his tasting in an aggressive tone, giving him an amused glance with sparkling eyes. “You don't look like someone who's a fan of sweets.”

“More advantages of being a Jedi.” Obi-Wan smiled at her between bites of dessert. “Intensive training allows me to do a little more.”

“Hmm.” Satine surveyed his form as she rested the spoon on her lower lip, and for a moment Obi-Wan couldn't take his eyes off her lips. When she spoke, her voice did not sound innocent at all. “Indeed, training is an advantage.”

They were silent for a moment, eating Dex's cake in silence, and then Obi-Wan remembered something. “Dex said you should like this dessert. Do you recognize this cake?”

“I don’t. I didn't eat that kind of cake.” Satine looked at him with a faint smile that slightly alarmed the Jedi Master. “But I know the fruit that was used for it. It is very popular on Mandalore. It is a _mirshko papurgaat_ , the fruit of courage.”

“Courage?” Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows, giving her a questioning look. “So what, you eat it and you go into a battle rage?”

“Some kind of rage maybe, but not the combat one.” Satine smirked at him, and Obi-Wan immediately regretted every bite of the cake he had just eaten. “Obi, the fruit of courage is a very famous aphrodisiac on Mandalore.”

Obi-Wan choked on a piece of fruit and began to cough so violently that for a moment Satine recalled in her head the first aid rules for choking she had learned when she was still a child. The Jedi Master's face flushed deeply, but the Duchess did not know if it was shame or the fact that for a moment he was unable to breathe properly. Finally he reached for a glass of white Alderaanian wine and took a few sips from it, and when he looked Satine in the eye, she couldn't help but laugh suddenly from her throat.

“Breathe, Obi.” she said, putting her slender fingers on her lips. “If you start choking, I'll have to resuscitate you, and I'm afraid mouth-to-mouth could lead you to a heart attack.”

“Satine ...” Obi-Wan gave her an irritated look, ignoring the storm of emotion that plagued his heart with every conversation with the Mandalorian Duchess. “For a pacifist, you seem very unmoved by the vision of my death.”

“I have a first aid certificate, you would be just alright.”

“I don't think I want to check it out.”

“You doubt my abilities?”

“I doubt my self-control skills.” Obi-Wan was pleased to note that for the first time that evening, her cheeks flushed a little. “Forgive me, my dear, it's this fruit's fault.”

Satine stared at him with shining eyes and instinctively she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, looking at him almost uncertainly. He raised his glass to his lips and took a long sip of wine.

“Will you stay for the night?”

And only his self-control practiced over the years, which in her presence so often did not seem to work, kept him from emptying the contents of his mouth straight onto the table. Instead, Obi-Wan swallowed the alcohol and set his glass down on the table, staring at her with a shocked expression on his face.

“Satine, I _—_ ” 

“We will do nothing that we may regret later.” she said quickly, still blushing. “I… so much has happened in the last few days and… I'd like to spend some time with someone I trust.”

The shock almost faded from his face, giving way to understanding, and Obi-Wan felt that surreal warmth in his chest again. He knew he would agree. He knew he couldn't refuse her. He knew she didn't have to have any reason to ask him about spending time with her.

He loved her.

And that was reason enough.

X X X X X

Obi-Wan has always valued silence. As a Padawan, he spent long hours in silence meditating alongside his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. They could sit side by side for a long time without exchanging a word, focusing completely on the Force around them.

After Master Jinn's death, with Obi-Wan taking his own Padawan under his wing, silence became something very welcome. Anakin Skywalker was a talkative, curious and energetic boy from the very first moments they met. He liked to ask questions and learn about the cultures of different planets in the Galaxy, about the Force, about the Jedi. Their meditation was never spent in silence, because Anakin had trouble concentrating. He always claimed that silence made him hear too well what the Force was telling him, and being a chatty teenager himself, he didn't like someone, or in this case, something beat him in that.

Then came the war, and Obi-Wan could hardly count on a moment of respite and a good night's sleep, not to mention the silence that, because it was war and war was never quiet, was practically gone.

So silence was important to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan liked silence.

He valued silence.

Until now.

Obi-Wan glanced to his right.

Satine remained unmoved. She walked with her hand in the crook of his elbow, but never once gave him a glance, and only spoke at first, greeting him with a cold _General Kenobi_. Obi-Wan knew this meeting - the first in many months - would not be the easiest. The confrontation with Anakin, Ahsoka and many others made him aware of it. However, Satine was different. Their relationship was different.

Obi-Wan looked ahead. It was late afternoon, and the Coruscant sky was already an intense orange hue, slowly turning red where the sun was gradually hiding below the horizon. Had he turned his head at that moment, he would have seen the pale shape of the largest of the planet's moons, shining as _—_

“We're not going to Dex.”

Obi-Wan shuddered slightly at the utterly monotonous tone of her voice. Satine continued to stare ahead, her face hidden under a maroon and gold cloak. Her words were not, however, a question.

“No.” Obi-Wan looked at her again, and again didn't notice any change in her attitude. He took a deep breath. “We'll go to Dex later.”

If this turn of events surprised her, she did not show it. Obi-Wan remembered how nearly two years earlier, when he had taken her to his friend's Diner for the first time, Satine had assured him of her trust. And even now, after all that had happened, Obi-Wan felt that even a small part of that confidence was still in his hands.

“I'm taking you to the park. The biggest and the prettiest I know. It is not far from the Temple and I have often meditated with Anakin there and…” he broke off suddenly, before his late Master's name had left his mouth. Talking about Qui-Gon Jinn, even though the years passed, was still difficult for him. After a moment of awkward silence, Obi-Wan cleared his throat. “We need to talk. And I figured we'd have more privacy in the park than at Dex's.”

“Mhm.”

“Besides...” Obi-Wan turned to face her, noticing that her head turned slightly to the left, but Satine seemed to stop herself from looking at him at the last moment. But he knew she was listening carefully. “I thought a walk in such a quiet place would do us good before a meal.”

And with this their conversation ended. For the next several long minutes there was complete silence between them again. Obi-Wan didn't know the last time he felt so uncomfortable. Satine had always aroused an avalanche of emotions in him, but never before had the Force made him feel so lost. He tried to listen to it, to know its judgment, but no conclusion came. And it had been like that for days.

It was like that from the moment he ended his mission as Rako Hardeen and returned to the living. Since then, he has not been able to find harmony, balance, and peace. When he called Satine in the middle of the night nearly three weeks ago, he hadn't expected her to pick up. However, she did.

And after a few long moments of staring at him without a word, without any reaction, when he was finally about to speak and apologize to her, she told him in a cold, emotionless voice, “ _Gar dikut'la. Gar or'dinii._ Your loyalty makes you _mirci't_.”. After these words, she hung up.

So now, with one of the park's many entrances looming in front of them with each step they took, Obi-Wan was slowly figuring out what would happen when they found some secluded spot perfect for a private conversation.

He will apologize to her.

He will give her a gift.

They'll go to Dex's for dinner.

The plan was simple.

Hand in hand, they crossed the enormous gate of the park, and Obi-Wan immediately steered their steps toward the left arm of the main paved road. This part of the park was calmer, intended for relaxation and spending free time there. Besides, Obi-Wan knew perfectly well that the risk of meeting someone he knew there was small - the Jedi who spent their time meditating in this park chose the right side of it - the quiet, wilder and closer to nature, to the Force.

They passed by a mass of creatures of different races as they walked the avenue, and though Obi-Wan was at first nervous that they would be recognized, it was quick to realize that no passerby was paying much attention to them. The lovers walked hand in hand, too preoccupied with themselves to pay attention to the world around them. Parents devoted all their attention to their children, not even looking at other people.

A sudden sense of melancholy seized him, and a quick glance at Satine was enough to conclude that it was her signature that radiated with this feeling. The Duchess, with a small smile on her lips, watched the two girls - one human and one Twi'Lek - who sat on a blanket on the lawn. A human girl was plaiting a wreath of flowers and leaves, while Twi'Lek girl wove flowers into a long braid of her companion's fiery red hair. Obi-Wan also smiled. For a moment it crossed his mind that if he and Satine _—_

“Do you know why I wear Mandalorian lilies in my hair so often?” Obi-Wan was so surprised at the sudden start of the conversation that he flinched slightly. Satine stubbornly didn't turn her head toward him, but at least now there was a smile on her face, though Obi-Wan could tell it wasn't entirely happy one. “Of course, they are a sign of peace and this is one reason, the official reason,” she sighed, looking ahead once more as they passed by two girls. “When I was still a child, my sister and I were very close. We spent every free moment together. We studied together, we played together. Bo had beautiful red hair, just like that girl, but she never liked doing anything with it. But she loved to play with my hair,” despite the smile on her lips, Obi-Wan could hear the sadness in her voice. “Once, when we were spending our free evening in the gardens of our house on Kalevala, Bo cut a few lilies and braided them into my hair.” Satine took a deep breath, and Obi-Wan was sure that if it weren't for the hood covering her face, he would have seen tears in her eyes. “Since then, whenever we were in the gardens together, she wove flowers in my hair, so when I became a Duchess and she disappeared, I wanted to remember her as best I could.”

“There is also a third reason,” Obi-Wan started softly, smiling slightly at the twitch of her head and he sent her reassuring waves of the Force. “They emphasize your beauty.”

“Nice try.” she tightened her hand on his arm and finally looked into his eyes. Obi-Wan noticed a wet trail on her cheek and struggled to fight the sudden urge to wipe it away. "But I'm still mad at you."

“I know, my dear.” Obi-Wan looked around, then looked at her with a slight smile. “We need to talk, and I just found the perfect place for it.”

Satine looked around too, and Obi-Wan smiled as he watched her eyes move around them. At one point she reached with her hands to the edge of the hood and pushed it off her head, and he, making sure that there were not too many people around, did the same. Watching Satine's face lighten with her sincere smile, he couldn't help but do the same.

“Obi-Wan,”. Satine said after a moment, tearing her eyes away from the great tree from which two-person swings hung from its thick branches. “If you thought that taking me to such a _romantic_ place would soften my view of your behavior, then unfortunately you were right.”

“Romantic, my dear?” Obi-Wan looked at her innocently, though he was sure the tips of his ears were turning red at her words, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“About the dates you are afraid to name so.”

“Jedi don't go on dates, Satine.”

“So congratulations, you're the ringleader.”

Before Obi-Wan could reply, Satine was already elegantly approaching one of the swings, so he had no choice but to follow her. With her natural grace, the Duchess sat down on the wooden surface of the swing, crossed her legs and grasped the edge of the board with her hands. Obi-Wan stood a few steps in front of her and stared into her eyes without the slightest movement. After a few seconds, Satine raised one eyebrow and tilted her head slightly, staring at him questioningly.

“Hmm. If I had known we would be competing to see who would blink first, I would have worn something more distracting.”

“Well,” Obi-Wan cleared his throat, measuring her with a quick glance. "Then I'm lucky I like your eyes so much."

“Just eyes?” her other eyebrow went up as well. “It's a pity.”

Obi-Wan smiled in response, but still hadn't moved from his place a few feet away, and when even the intensity of Satine's gaze hadn't changed that, the woman took a deep breath and for a brief moment Obi-Wan could sense and see the irritation in her eyes.

“I may be angry with you, Obi-Wan, but I asure I'm not going to bite you. You don't have to run away from me.” Satine patted the seat next to her, looking at him expectantly. “If you want to talk to me, we'll do it the right way. Sit down.”

Obi-Wan stared at her for a moment longer, then nodded, slowly approached the swing and sat down next to Satine, keeping his distance. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment to clear the disturbing emotions. Even though he had planned all of their conversation ahead of time, now that they were seated side by side, and he couldn't have anticipated Satine's reaction, he felt his nerves eating away at him.

Listening to the Force, he realized that Satine must feel the same, even if her face showed something else entirely. Under the mask of a composed and cool person, her signature sparked with emotion. Obi-Wan felt her nervousness, felt her irritation, anger and sadness. But somewhere beneath it all he could feel her joy, her excitement, and the delight that emanated from her every time she looked at their surroundings.

Satine’s Force signature was unlike any Obi-Wan knew. It was blindingly bright, sparkling, and filled with so much emotion that most Jedi would feel overwhelmed by it. Obi-Wan, however, felt the warmth that surrounded him every time he was close to her. He felt harmony, even though his heart was beating so fast, as if he had just run a few laps around the Temple. He wondered what Satine would feel if she were Force sensitive. How would she perceive his signature, and whether she would feel that warmth that warmed him like a thick blanket and hot tea on a particularly cold evening.

“Ahsoka told me about the funeral.” Satine flinched slightly at the sound of his voice and immediately looked down at the hands clasped in her lap. “When I agreed to go on this mission, I did not realize that my decision would affect so many people, and now I know it was naive of me.”

There were a short silence. And then _—_

“I mourned you,” she said softly, still looking at her hands. “When Padme called me in the middle of the night, I knew something was wrong.”

“Satine _—_ ”

“They say when someone you gave your heart to dies, the whole world ceases to exist, but you know what?” she raised her head and looked him straight in the eyes. “I cried until there were no more tears to shed. Sleep didn't come for long hours, and when I finally fell asleep in the morning, too soon I had to start a new day. I opened my eyes and to my surprise the world still had colors. Time was still flowing, the war was still raging, and I was still a duchess with the entire star system resting on my shoulders.” she quickly wiped a tear that started to run down one of her cheeks, still staring into his eyes. “Sudden hatred for Coruscant flooded me when I set my feet on this planet a few days later. It was on Coruscant that you returned as a Padawan, leaving me heartbroken. It was on Coruscant that everyone tried to destroy everything I had been working on for almost twenty years. It was on Coruscant that you died, breaking my heart the second time. And when I entered the Temple to attend your funeral…” she took a deep breath, ignoring the tears that were now streaming down both her cheeks. “I didn't have to be Force sensitive to sense how I was received there. As I was viewed with disapproval or pity. I hated the looks on their faces.”

Obi-Wan was silent. As he prepared for this conversation, he had expected screams, anger, even hatred, but here he was, next to the woman he was about to apologize to, and he listened to her story told in a voice dominated by sadness. A sadness so penetrating that his throat tightened, and for a brief moment he felt like wiping the tears from her wet cheeks and taking her in his arms. However, he did not do it, and Satine focused the intense gaze of her eyes shining with tears at the pond, which was several meters in front of them.

“During all these years I tried to control my emotions and not show weakness. I thought I was strong enough to keep my dignity and not allow anyone to speculate about anything,” she wrapped her arms around herself, looking everywhere, but stubbornly avoiding the Jedi Master sitting next to her. “And as it often happens lately, I was wrong. Mandalorians believe that tears are something to be proud of because they show that you are a flesh-and-blood human, that you have a soul that needs cleansing, that is trying to heal itself. We don't consider tears a sign of weakness. Even so, I never felt as dirty and weak as I was at that moment. I don't even know when I started crying, but I had to be a sensation.” she laughed, her cold voice suddenly turning to muffled sobs. “Tell me, Obi ...” she looked into his eyes with a resigned expression on her face. “Do they talk about me in class about the bad side of getting attached?”

“No.” he said in a low voice. “Nobody's talking about you.”

“Then I'm lucky.” she laughed without a hint of amusement. “Maybe they still remember the centuries-long conflict between the Mandalorians and the Jedi, and feared that the mentally unstable Duchess with a broken heart would choose to convert her people to the path of tradition and raze the Temple to the ground.”

“Please, do not say that.”

“What? What should I not say?” there was irritation in her voice, maybe even a little bit of anger. “How else would you name a woman who for almost two decades of her life cannot forget about her first, stupid, childish love and cannot start living?” she looked at him hard. “How do you name a woman who looks for the same depth of blue-gray eyes, the same smile, the same warmth, the same sensitivity in every potential candidate for a husband?” she continued, tears starting to flow from her eyes again, but Obi-Wan suspected it was a sign of frustration this time. “How do you name a woman whose nights are filled with dreams and what ifs, who in the darkness of the night, lying in bed, falls asleep swayed by memories and finds the meaning of life in holding on to the pointless hope that something will change?” this time she didn't even try to stop the sobs that escaped from her throat. “As a little girl I read about tragic love and I considered it to be the most beautiful thing in the world. As a teenager, I loved poems that told about unfulfilled feelings, but I never thought I'd bring it on myself. I never thought love could be the greatest curse. But you know what's worse than unrequited love, Obi-Wan? Living with hopes that will change. That the other person will open their eyes, that they will love you too, that you will be happy someday.” she put her hand on her lips and closed her eyes, drawing uneven breath. “Only love can hurt like this.”

If Qui-Gon Jinn had been nearby, he would probably have said that Obi-Wan must control his emotions because they betray him, like the bloodstains betray the injured prey. However, Master Jinn was not here, as there was no other Jedi beside him who could draw attention to the chaos that his signature was right now. Obi-Wan took a deep breath and made a quick decision.

“Satine,” he said in a voice so gentle that the Duchess sitting next to him squeezed her eyes tight to hold back the tears still flowing. “My dearest Satine,” he touched gently her free hand that rested on her lap, and when the woman flinched slightly, but did not take her hand away, he laced their fingers together. “I'm so sorry.”

“Obi _—“_

“Shhh. I didn't interrupt you.” he expected a protest, but the Duchess only nodded, looking at their clasped hands. “I'm really sorry. Please believe me that whatever I did, I never meant to hurt you.”

Satine looked at their hands for a long moment and squeezed his hand lightly. She raised her head and looked into his eyes with a sad smile.

“I know, Obi.” she bit her lips and looked at their hands again. “But people often hurt others without even knowing it. You're no exception, and neither are I.”

Obi-Wan watched her silently. Streaks of her makeup rubbed first by her tears, then by her palms furiously rubbing her cheeks, grazed her pale skin, now reddened in many places from crying. Obi-Wan looked around. He perfectly remembered that there were dozens of water installations in the park, so it took him a short while to locate the nearest water source. He got up from the swing and walked over to a small stone waterfall a few meters from the tree under which they were talking and dipped the handkerchief that he always wore in his coat in the small basin. He had learned many years ago that there is never too much of a useful things.

He squeezed it lightly, shedding the excess water, and returned to the swing with the Duchess's watchful gaze on him. Obi-Wan sat down next to her and turned his whole body towards her.

“You smeared all your makeup.” he said with a slight smile and raised his hand, pointing to her face with a small movement. “Can I?”

Maybe Satine was too tired of their conversation, or maybe his proposal completely surprised her, because instead of speaking, she nodded slightly, staring at him with eyes that were even more intense shade of blue.

Obi-Wan leaned slightly towards her and touched her cheek gently with the wet cloth. He rubbed her skin with a gentle movement, erasing any smudges from her makeup, and did the same with the other cheek.

“Close your eyes now, my dear.”

She did as she was told and Obi-Wan lifted his free hand and cupped her chin gently. Satine flinched at the unexpected contact, squeezed her eyes tighter, and took a calming breath. Obi-Wan studied her for a moment, then lifted the handkerchief to her face again and gently rubbed the area around her eyes, her pale pink lids, and the bridge of her nose.

He could hear his own heart pounding in his ears, and he wondered if Satine felt the same.

He picked up the handkerchief and set it on the bench, still holding her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Satine slowly opened her eyes, instantly meeting his gaze.

“Satine.” he said softly, letting go of her chin and cupping one of her cheeks with his hand. “It took me too long to understand how much you mean to me.”

Obi-Wan rubbed her cheek with his thumb and gave her a warm smile. Satine smiled slightly as well, and with her left hand she took his right hand from her cheek and laced their fingers together, then placed their joined hands in her lap.

“And how much do I mean to you?”

“More than I can admit.” he looked at their joined hands, then lifted them to his lips and placed a tender kiss on her pale knuckles. “More than just a friend.”

Now that he had spoken the words, he could not back down. Besides, he didn't even want to do that. Satine stared at him with sparkling eyes full of hope, pupils slightly dilated expectantly, and he couldn't take his eyes off them.

“I am afraid, my dear, that although my soul will always belong to the Jedi Order, my heart has been held in the hands of a certain Mandalorian for years,” he smiled slightly, watching her eyes, shining with emotion like the brightest stars in the sky. “And even if I wanted to forget about it, even if I tried to live without a heart, guided only by the will of the Force, and not by emotions, I can't help but...” his heart was beating loud and strong in his chest, and his voice was heavy with the emotion that tightened his throat, yet he kept a warm smile on his lips. “I love you, Satine.”

He could see in her wide open eyes a whole wave of different emotions. Her bright signature radiated such an amount of warmth that he was sure its intensity was flushing his skin.

“Oh, Obi-Wan…” her gentle hand rested on one of his cheeks. Obi-Wan turned his head slightly and kissed her long pale fingers, one by one. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her face gleam with a sincere smile; her eyes as intensely blue as the aurora on Draboon the night they landed on the planet's surface. Satine was beautiful. And when she smiled, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. “Dearest...” he said softly, a smile on his lips. “You deserve much more than I could ever give you. You deserve love, you deserve happiness, you deserve your own family. And believe me, I'd like to give it all to you.” Satine watched him closely, stroking the area around his mouth with her thumb. “You awakened in me desires that I never thought I would feel.”

“Can I do something about them?” a playful smile appeared on her lips.

“I'm afraid that is impossible in the near future.” he took a deep breath, never taking his eyes off her shining eyes. “Recently I've been thinking ... I'm afraid ... Recently, I have become increasingly doubting the purpose of it all. For the purpose of this war; a conflict that takes tens of thousands of lives, destroys entire planets, ruins the lives of many beings. The Jedi decided to put their hand to it and... You know, Satine, that I always wanted peace, I never wanted war. The Jedi's destiny was to help keep the peace, not to fight for it.” he looked away from her, shifting his gaze to the darkening spot, which was a local pond. “The Jedi Order has changed a lot. Now only duties are holding me back because... I feel that its rules have changed rapidly. I feel like I don't fit in there anymore. And I know it may sound like I would treat you as a lifesaver, but my dear, the truth is I would have left the Order for you years ago. Had you said a word.

“Oh.” she touched his cheek with her hand, turning his face towards her. “You know I couldn't do that.”

“I know, Satine. And that's why I decided I'll give you my word.” he smiled slightly and reached his hand under his coat, into the pockets of his robes, from which he took out a small silver box. He stroked its lid with his thumb and lifted it up to meet the Duchess's curious gaze. “My dear...”

“You...”

“I...” He smiled, watching her shocked expression. “I don't know what you thought, darling, but it must be something very interesting because you have a wonderful expression on your face.”

“Obi, don't mock me.” she said in a voice that didn't sound irritated at all. “What kind of word is it?”

“Hmmm.” he smiled and opened the box in his hand. “I think you already know the answer to that question.”

“ _Kenobi_...”

“Well!,” he took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. “Satine. I love you. I love you with all my heart. I know it took me a long time to admit this, and I would like to ask your forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness granted.”

“And I would also like to ask you for more time. Not to make me think, because I was never more sure of anything than I am of how I feel about you. But... I wish… I would like to be here for you. I would like to stay with you, be your other half, your best friend, confidant and partner. I'd like to go to bed every day and wake up next to you. To look at your smile, your tears. Soothe your anger, chase away your sadness. I would like to be the reason for your joy as you are the reason for mine. I would like to love you as you deserve, Satine.” one tear fell down her pale cheek. The Duchess bit her lips that curved into a smile. “Let this ring be a symbol of my affection and a promise that when all this is over, when there is peace in the Galaxy again, I will be by your side, I will stand by you and I will devote my whole life to you, as I have sacrificed my heart. Will you have me?”

“Yes.” her voice was barely a whisper. She laughed through her tears and placed one hand flat on her chest. “Yes, Obi-Wan. Always.”

“My darling...” he smiled broadly at her and extended his hand towards her. “Can I?”

Nodding, she raised her left hand and allowed Obi-Wan to slide a silver ring adorned with a beautiful blue crystal onto her ring finger. Satine stared at the jewelry piece with a big smile, her cheeks still wet from flowing tears. Obi-Wan stroked her fingers with his thumb and brought her hand to his mouth, leaving a trail of small, tender kisses on it.

“Obi-Wan...”

“Yes?”

“I love you too.” she said softly, leaning towards him. “I have always loved you.”

Obi-Wan touched her cheeks with his fingers, wiped the tears from them, and leaned toward her, bringing their foreheads together. He closed his eyes and there was silence for a moment. He only heard her breath, torn apart by recent tears. Satine's delicate hands rested on his shoulders, and then looped around his neck, and at the same moment Obi-Wan twisted his head and kissed her. The Duchess flinched at first, but after a while she returned his kiss with a hunger and fervor he had not expected from her.

He didn't know how long they had been in this state, but a sudden urge to breathe separated them from each other. Satine brought their foreheads together again and laughed lightly as her fingers stroked his neck.

“ _Gar ner kar'ta, gar ner haal. Gar ner cyar'ika, ratiin._ ”

“ _Akay kyr’am dar’tome vi_.”

“Very optimistic.” she laughed, bringing their noses together. “Obi-Wan...”

“Shhh...” he said, smiling slightly. “Let our hearts speak.”

He kissed her again.

One part of his plan has failed. They didn't go to Dex's for dinner. They went to her apartment, where they didn't have to hide their feelings from anyone.

X X X X X

There were more meetings after that.

Satine always said it was a date.

Obi-Wan replied that Jedi did not go on dates.

They both laughed at it.

They talked a lot.

Obi-Wan told Satine about the last few years as Qui-Gon Jinn’a Padawan. He told her about meeting Anakin, about becoming his master,, about their missions and adventures. He told her about their friendship, about Ahsoka Tano, whom he treated as their apprentice.

Satine told Obi-Wan about Mandalore. She spoke about the hardships of ruling the entire system, about the problems with the reconstruction of the war-torn world, about hard politics, loyalty and betrayal. About loneliness.

But she also told him a lot about Korkie. About his childhood, about his character, about their moments together.

“Your stories show that Korkie is a wonderful young man,” Obi-Wan gave her a warm smile. “I'd like to meet him someday. I feel like we would get along.”

“I feel that way too,” Satine smiled back.

_I'm so proud of him. I hope you will be too._

X X X X X

Death came unexpectedly.

Looked at him with _her_ blue eyes. Touched his face with _her_ cool hand. Spoke to him with _her_ pale lips. Walked away, leaving a trickle of blood running down _her_ cheek.

X X X X X

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in front of the building which familiar, characteristic smell always brought back the best memories. Because it was here, at Dex's Diner, that Obi-Wan brought Anakin for their first meal, after a day spent at exploring Coruscant, a few days after Master Qui-Gon Jinn's funeral. It was here, a decade later, that Anakin took his Padawan, Ahsoka, after their first mission to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son. It was here that Obi-Wan came after each hard mission to enjoy a warm, good meal and anonymity, because this was where Obi-Wan was what he always wanted to be - himself, a humble Jedi Master, not a General, who spent long weeks fighting on the fronts of an endless war.

But it was also here that he sneaked out to meet the person who filled his most precious and happiest, and at the same time most painful memories. This is where he took Satine when, after more than a decade of separation, their paths crossed again. It was here that they met many times over the next three years. It was here that their relationship, their friendship, their love was rebuilt. And it was at this place, at that moment, that his barely scarred heart tore open again.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and, tossing the hood of his cloak off his head, he entered the Diner. The place hasn't changed a bit since the last time he was here. At the same time, he felt different, crossing the threshold of that building after many months without showing up. He scanned the bar, noting that his usual seat was empty. But he couldn't bring himself to sit down there. The mere sight of that couch and that table made his heart ache, and Obi-Wan suspected that it had nothing to do with the cholesterol levels that Dex's heavy cooking habits might raise.

Instead, he turned and walked to an empty table on the other side of the restaurant, passing a counter along the way, behind which Hermione was energetically talking to her assistant droid, whose mechanical hands were full of dirty dishes, apparently picked up from empty tables recently.

“Hello Hermione!” Obi-Wan smiled politely, tilting his head slightly and sitting on the vacant couch. The blonde turned to face him, and the Jedi felt in the Force that the sight of him lit her signature in a clear flash of joy.

“Honey!” Hermione yelled over her shoulder, then smiled at the Jedi in greeting. “Obi-Wan’s here!”

Basilisk almost immediately poked his head out of the kitchen, glancing first at the waitress and moments later at his guest. He tossed the cloth he was wiping the plates with at a nearby counter and, passing the woman and the droid, walked over to the Jedi.

“Obi-Wan, my buddy!” he gave one of his four massive hands to Obi-Wan, who shook it in greeting. “Ya weren't here so long I thought I wouldn't see ya again!”

“You know how it is, Dex,” Obi-Wan sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “The war is not waiting, and unfortunately I am taking an active part in it.”

“I know, my friend, I understand that perfectly well.” Dex examined him carefully and looked slightly around the restaurant. “Don't remember the last time I saw ya alone here. Where's yah Mandalorian friend? Are ya waitin’ for her?”

Basilisk smiled happily, but one glance at the Jedi Master was enough for the joy to disappear completely from his face. Instead, in the Force, Obi-Wan sensed a sudden surge of understanding, compassion, and sadness. But he wasn't sure if it was his friend's grief or his own, which hit him with full force, squeezing his throat painfully and crushing his lungs, that were unable for a few moments to draw the slightest breath. He closed his eyes, struggling to release his suffocating emotions to the Force, but the Force seemed to hate him about the worries of his heart and tossed away its broken pieces as if trying to get the Jedi to put them back together. Impossible task. Obi-Wan opened his eyes and gave the Diner’s owner a sad smile.

_Now she is waiting for me._

Dex put a massive hand on his shoulder in a totally unlike him gentle way, and Obi-Wan was soulfully grateful for the simple gesture of comfort.

“I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. I barely knew her, but I always knew she had to be amazin’. Ya were so much happier around her.” Obi-Wan nodded, not trying to deny it, because he knew he would be lying then. He would be lying if he said that Satine was just a friend. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel free with her. He would be lying if he said that she wasn't important to him and that her death hadn't touched him. Dex was silent for a moment before finally asking in a calm voice. “The usual?”

“No.” the Jedi didn't know what was driving him at that moment, but before he could consider his actions, the words left his mouth. “Not this time. I'll take what she always took.”

Obi-Wan winced inwardly, feeling how strangely distant his words were. And yet he couldn't bring himself to weave her name into conversation. It was painful to think about her, but as long as she was just a face, one of many he had ever seen, he could control himself. But when that face was given its name, the name he so loved, the name which echoed in his dreams, formerly filled his visions, which he whispered on her naked skin, and which was his last word, his farewell, he could see her deathly pale face before him. Her fading eyes, lips barely parted. He could feel the touch of her cold hand on his cheek.

He escaped the trap of his memories with a deep sigh and looked with sad, tired eyes at his friend standing next to him.

Dex patted him on the shoulder once more and walked towards the kitchen. Obi-Wan, feeling a sudden weight on his heart, reached under the collar of his robe and pulled out a silver chain from under it, a ring hung at the end of it. Jedi shouldn't have any possessions, and yet this one thing had been with him continuously for months, carefully hidden beneath the fabric of his robes, invisible to prying eyes.

Obi-Wan placed the ring in the center of his hand. The delicate silver ring was adorned with a beautiful blue crystal, the color which was as beautiful as Satine's eyes. He remembered them so clearly - restless as a rough sea, transparent as the most beautiful of mirrors. Looking at him with anger, with curiosity, with joy, with sadness, with love. With pain. Fading with her signature, yielding to the weight of her eyelids closing one last time.

He remembered exactly how he had held her in his arms for the last time, how the life was pouring out of her, how she stared into his eyes, fought for every breath. How she gently squeezed his hand as she tried to slide the ring off one of her slender fingers. _Take it_ , she said without taking her eyes from his. _Take it_.

He obeyed. He took the ring that was the promise of a future that never came from her hand. A ring that was an assurance that he would have made the right decision the second time and she wouldn't have to ask him. The ring that was the only material thing of her left for him. A ring that was proof of his love and a piece of Satine that would be with him for the rest of his days.

One tear fell on his opened palm. He clenched his hand into a fist, pressed it against his heart, and covered his damp face with his other hand.

_I've always loved you. I always will._

**Author's Note:**

> I would love to hear your thoughts! ♥
> 
> some Mando translation:  
> mirshko papurgaat - the fruit of courage, in my opinion a fitting term for our passion fruit  
> “Gar dikut'la. Gar or'dinii. Your loyalty makes you mirci't.” - “You're an idiot. You're crazy. Your loyalty makes you a prisoner.”  
> “Gar ner kar'ta, gar ner haal. Gar ner cyar'ika, ratiin.” - “You are my heart, you are my breath. You are my darling, always.”  
> “Akay kyr'am dar’tome vi.” - “until - death - separate - we” (I used vi as a term to write “us”) - “Until death do us part.”


End file.
